Council gives early nod to dog ban at Powerhouse Park

That’s what critics are saying about Del Mar, after the City Council gave its preliminary approval Monday night to a new ordinance that would ban dogs – leashed or not – from a swath of a popular beachfront park.

The council's vote was unanimous, despite objections from several residents who spoke at the Monday meeting. Opponents were especially miffed at the wording of a city report noting that banning dogs from a southern section of Powerhouse Park that includes a tot lot would create a “family friendly” zone.

“Most people consider their dogs as family, so don’t call it a family friendly area,” said Del Mar resident Lynn Gaylord. “Call it what it is: No dogs allowed.”

Former Mayor Crystal Crawford wondered what the hubbub was all about. “We’ve been a city for over 50 years now and suddenly we have an issue with dogs?”

City Councilman Don Mosier wasn’t swayed. He and other city officials pointed out that dogs will still be allowed on roughly two-thirds of the greenbelt that sits between 15th and 17th streets, including the walkway around the tot lot.

“This is a modest measure at one spot in a small part of our city,” Mosier said.

Councilwoman Sheryl Parks agreed. “It’s one small area that will be restricted,” she said. “It’s not unfair or unreasonable to have one space that would be off limits.”

But others aren’t convinced the new rules are needed. The ordinance will go into effect this summer.

“I am saddened by the recent conflicts with regard to the sharing of public areas by dogs and children and the `us vs. them’ mentality that I see becoming stronger in our community,” Del Mar resident Jim Kennedy wrote in a letter to the council.

Gaylord, responding to a city report that claimed dogs can cause health hazards, suggested the council also go after ground squirrels, pelicans and seagulls.

“Are cats OK?,” asked Crawford. “Is it OK to bring a pony to the tot lot?”

As a concession, the council agreed to eliminate any reference to the move being made for “family friendly” reasons. And it modified the proposal to ban not only dogs, but any pet.

In other action, the council voted without discussion to tighten the city’s curfew for juveniles to make it consistent with rules in place in Solana Beach, San Diego and the unincorporated areas of the county. The latter three have curfews of 10 p.m.; until now, Del Mar’s curfew was 11 p.m.

“This has created an `oasis’ effect, where minors tend to enter the City with expressed intent of remaining in public an additional hour,” states a report that went to the council.

Law enforcement officials say the majority of minors in the city who are contacted after 10 p.m. come from jurisdictions with tighter curfews. Bringing Del Mar’s curfew in line Solana Beach, San Diego and the county “should result in a reduction of crimes related to minors and allow the City’s Park Ranger and Sheriff Deputies to enforce the curfew laws in a consistent manner with the surrounding jurisdictions,” the report states.